All of our Anecdotes

Jim Gaffigan

2012-01-14T23:14:00.000-08:00

One of our favorite dates is dinner and a comedy show. Before we got married we had the opportunity to see some great comics live on stage, but married life and five kids seems to hender that. In November I caught wind that one of our VERY favorite comedians was coming to town on tour, Jim Gaffigan. The guy is high-lar-ious. And the best part is that he is clean too! Not too common to see a comedy show that will leave you in stitches but also be something you could take your parents all to and not be uncomfortable while watching with them. Anyway, Cody and I decided to just buy tickets and hope and pray that fate was on our side and we could find a sitter, Garrett would be willing to take a bottle by then, and that all of us would be healthy! Otherwise, that would be a lot of good money down the comode.

January 13th came and the only one on our family who was sick was...Cody. But he wasn't THAT sick and was still up to going. We actually got TWO baby sitters because leaving all five little kids with only one teenager would be a disaster (let me just say that we paid through the nose for TWO sitters for almost five hours!) We grabbed some dinner at a really great Chinese place called Pei-Wei and then headed up to Kingsury Hall on the U campus. It was awesome walking through our old stomping ground hand in hand. It was the first time we had been on a real date, just the two of us, since Garrett was born nine months before. As we walked, we laughed at the irony of how simple our lives were a decade ago when we both attended the U and how we never could have imagined back then that almost a decade later we'd be on a date there with our five kids back at home.
The show was amazing! It was better than either of us was hoping for! A guy named Keith Stubbs opened for him, and that alone was a great act. We laughed so hard! But by the time Gaffigan came out...we were in tears from laughter within the first five minutes. He and his wife just had their fourth baby and Cody and I could relate to everything he was poking fun at. "My wife has an open door policy where each night she allows the kids to come into our room to pee in the bed." And "People ask me what it's like when that fourth baby is born. I tell them to imagine you are drowning...and then someone gives you a baby to hold." I think we are going to buy some of his DVDs and CDs. It was such a fun night!

A Tub Sitter

2012-01-09T22:06:00.000-08:00

At nine months old Garrett is finally able to sit well enough in water that he now bathes with Devin. I have a feeling that these two will be pretty bad together in the tub. Lots and lots of puddles on the ground. Lots and lots of trouble. Double even.

Magical

2012-01-08T21:44:00.000-08:00

Last week while I was packing up Christmas stuff to store until next year, Garrett found the Christmas lights and started exploring them. I quickly grabbed the camera and found his baby Santa hat and we did an impromptu photo shoot. This age is incredible because everything truly is magical!

Primary 2012

2012-01-08T18:00:00.001-08:00

Today was technically our first day of church in 2012, since last week we were at Cameron and Bree's baby blessing. This year we are on the 1:00 schedule which has some cons, but it is actually my favorite schedule because we have so much time in the morning. I wanted to jot down a few things about how the kids' first day in their new classes went.

Devin is one of the big shot big kids in nursery now. Even though he has a late birthday, he is a 2009 baby so that means this is his LAST year in nursery. Kind of makes me sad and I can't believe next year he will be a Sunbeam! Even with the 1:00 schedule, he did great today. Most every kid in nursery cried the whole time, but not Moo. Every time I peeked in on him he was pushing his cars around on the floor going "VROOM VROOOM".
Lauren is a CTR4 and has Sister Dowdy for a teacher. She is very happy that her best friends are in her class again this year!

Hailey is a CTR5 and has Brother Watts for a teacher. He wasn't there today but I know she will love him because he is a great teacher.

This is a big year for Ethan because he is getting BAPTIZED!! When I was the Primary President, I had a special place in my heart for the CTR7 class because they all got baptized that year. Ethan is in Brother Fox's class and of course he is happy about that. As soon as church was over he came running out with a scripture reading incentive paper and he was adamant that we get crackin' on family scripture reading. This is going to be a great year!

Go To Sleep!!

2011-12-29T22:37:00.002-08:00

Let me just say that this little boy of ours is a grade-A stinker!!!

Devin's First Dentist Visit

2011-12-29T22:37:00.001-08:00

Devin hit another milestone this last month- his first trip to the dentist! Of course he's been with us numerous times to see Dr. Romney, but never before as a patient. He was excited to be there because the office has great toys, and he was even excited to sit in the big chair. But as soon as the dentist came in, he got nervous and jumped out and the chair and ran for me. That's okay and what we expected. Like he always does for that first exam, Dr. Romney did the exam in his lap with me holding Devin's feet. His teeth look excellent! So far these kids have inherited their Daddy's good enamel. The best part, as always, was getting to choose a prize out of the treasure chest and getting a goodie bag with a new toothbrush!

The Big Christmas Adventure Surprise

2011-12-27T23:27:00.000-08:00

A few weeks before Christmas, the kids and I were driving through downtown after a doctor appointment and we passed the bed and breakfast that Cody and I have stayed in a few times on special occasions. It is an absolutely breathtaking place, full of history and intrigue. I had the idea that it would be so fun to stay there with the kids around Christmas time and walk downtown to see the lights, then come back to the B&B and snuggle into our Christmas jammies and make a night of it. Sounds picturesque, right? Seemed like a pipe dream and I figured the kids were too little and that maybe one day we'd do it.

When we were driving to Texas for Thanksgiving and we had hundreds of miles of road ahead of us, there was a lull in the conversation and I happened to mention it to Cody that I'd had the idea about the B&B. To my astonishment, he said "Let's do it. This year. Let's not wait. The kids are little, but there will always be a reason as to why now isn't the year. Who cares. Let's do it!"

I immediately called The Inn On The Hill to see availability. I was very happy to hear that the Carriage House was vacant the night of the 23rd...just two day before Christmas. Wow- could it be any more magical? Cody and I stayed in the Carriage House when we got married. In our opinion it is the best part of the B&B. They took the place where they used to keep carriages and other equipment, renovated it, and turned it into a luxury guest house. The place is amazing and it was the perfect size for our brood. Complete with a kitchen and everything!

We decided to keep it a secret from the kids and then a week before the big day, we told them we had a big family surprise planned and they would have to guess what we were doing. They guessed EVERYTHING under the sun. The anticipation was so much fun! Finally the 23rd came and Cody had that Friday off from work. We packed up, still not telling the kids what we were doing, and headed downtown. I have it all on camera as we asked them one last time what their final guesses were. Well, Cody had the cruel idea to tell them we were taking them all to the hospital for a night of surgeries. You see, this was horribly mean because after all, we had spent a large part of the year in and our of the hospital for different things so the kids knew this was the way to the hospital. Yes, it was, but that's not where we were going. We actually had them in tears!! They were so upset!

We pulled into the parking lot of this GORGEOUS mansion and Cody went inside to check in. The kids, still not knowing what was really going on and thinking we were headed to Primary Childrens, were sobbing in the back seat. I couldn't let the misery go on so I told them what we were really doing. They were still so upset and it took a while for them to finally believe that the B&B was what we were ACTUALLY doing!

So this is where we were and this is where we'd stay for the night. (the below picture is taken from the Internet)
Every time we stay here, it's like we are transported to a different and more peaceful time. No stress, so worries. It's like being taken into a turn-of-the-century romance novel. I walked through the place with the kids taking pictures of my favorite places. Below is possibly my favorite place within the main house. I love this window seat below the stained glass. If we lived there, I'd spend hours parked on this seat with a good book in hand.

This is the view from on of the parlors on the main floor. Not too shabby!

We spent a while just exploring the main house. The kids were in heaven! It was fun seeing them run around and enjoying themselves. When Cody and I were married 9 1/2 years prior, we never could have imagined that we'd have five munchkins running around the place!

Front of the house that night.

West side of the house.

East side of the house, facing south into downtown.

Back of the house. Just inside that door is the main desk. LOVE THIS PLACE!! The kids were super happy to explore our own little corner of the universe that night!

And that smaller building is the Carriage House. Home sweet home for us that night!

After we got settled into the Carriage House, we packed up and went to find a place to eat. The entire downtown area was incredibly packed, and there was a point when we thought we may go hungry because every restaurant had at least an hour wait. We passed by JBs (kind of like a Denny's) and it looked like there wasn't much of a wait, so we went in and within ten minutes had a seat!

Then it was off to Temple Square. One of the things we'd wanted to do was take a horse drawn carriage around Temple Square. Hailey was super excited about that, but when we got to the pick up place the line was wrapped all around the block...about 1/8 of a mile! Unfortunately we weren't able to do it that night and the kids were very disappointed, but we said we'd try again another night before the lights came down.

Sadly, Garrett and Devin had not taken good naps that day and they weren't going to last too long in the cold and with it getting late. By the time we got to the pedestal for our traditional Temple picture, they had had enough and started crying a LOT!!

Okay, UNCLE! We headed back to the B&B. When we walked back into the Carriage House, we found a huge surprise waiting for us on the coffee table! How did the Elf know our favorite movie treats??

But before digging into the treats and Christmas movies, we went back over to the main house to read the Christmas story and to enjoy some time by the fire. We pretty much had the entire mansion to ourselves and it was magical!

Then we went back to the Carriage House, changed into our jammies, and snuggled up to watch some Christmas shows.

Breakfast the next morning was amazing. It was awesome having the entire place to ourselves! The kids thought it was great eating breakfast in such a cool place! After breakfast we lazied around in the house, played some pool, and explored some more.

One of the best things about the Carriage House was the amazing bathtub. Ever since check in the day before they had been wanting to take a bath, so after breakfast we figured they could play while we packed up. Garrett kept creeping in to see what all the comotion was about!

We can honestly say that even though there were some cranky babies the night before, it was a huge success and we want to make it a tradition for every Christmas. I guess we know how much we need so save during the year to make it possible come December! Going back to our house on Christmas Eve was a bit of a letdown at first because we'd had such an amazing time at the B&B, but we had some fun stuff to look forward to during the rest of the day as well!

Packing For College

2011-12-27T23:26:00.002-08:00

The kids talk about college a lot. I mean...a LOT. They are constantly asking questions about when they will go to college, where they will live, what they will eat, who their friends will be, etc. These conversations are adorable, but they seem to break my heart a little as well because they want to grow up too fast. Hailey and Lauren have started a new thing to break my heart further- they pack for college on a regular basis. Every once in a while one of them will ask me if they can have an empty diaper box or something of the like. I always know what it's for too. They want to pack some of their stuff for college. But the things they pack are funny- stuffed animals, Barbies, baby dolls, and all kinds of other toys. I guess they don't want to be lonely!

The Ballet

2011-12-12T22:49:00.001-08:00

The girls and I had another Mommy/Daughter date to the U of U ballet. A couple of weeks before, we were at ballet and there was a big poster advertising the U's production of "The Nutcracker". I had just been saying to Cody that I'd love to take the girls to Ballet West, but it was so pricey and I didn't want to spend that kind of money on such young girls who may or may not enjoy it. So when I saw that the U was doing the same ballet and that tickets were only $15 a piece, I was excited! So we planned a date and I even sent the word out to some friends with young girls telling them about this deal I'd discovered.

The girls and I went to lunch at Red Butte Cafe near campus, and then raced over to the Marriott Center for Dance to see the show. To make a long story short, it was a horrible disappointment. It was NOTHING like the normal and traditional production which I had in mind. It's like they took some weird modern dance and combined it with a wicked bad dream and added the title of "Nutcracker" to it. The girls (and I) were so confused as we watched, and our friends who went even thought maybe we were at the wrong show! That's how weird and different it was. I guess all in all it only matters that the girls and I had a fun time together. Next time I will use more caution when taking the girls to see another show!

Just Cuz I Love 'Em

2011-12-12T22:41:00.000-08:00

This baby boy is growing up way too fast.

A Hallmark Tradition

2011-12-12T22:38:00.001-08:00

On December 5th, the Christmas box gave us some fun instructions. It told us to go to Hallmark to pick out our annual Keepsake ornaments and then to go somewhere for hot chocolate and cookies. Normally we hit Hallmark a few days after Christmas and take advantage of their 75% off sale, but this time we HAD to do what The Box told us...and pay full price. That was a huge blow to our pocketbook, but the plus side is that there was a huge selection and the kids got exactly what they wanted. Ethan got Harry Potter, Hailey got another reindeer one, Lauren got Barbie, Devin got Toy Story, and Garrett got the traditional "Baby's First Christmas". Mom appeased her desire for a baby grand piano by getting a miniature one, and Dad got a leg lamp ornament. We then went to McDonalds and got treats. The Play Place was completely empty except for us, so we had a great time. We hope The Box tells us to do the same thing next year!

Texas Thanksgiving- A Day In Tolar

2011-12-12T22:29:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving Day was great. I was a little apprehensive about going out to Aunt Brenda and Uncle Jack's for the big day, because of all the memories I have of Joseph last time we were there. The Scotts' house has always been the gathering place for Thanksgiving Dinner for as long as I can remember, and TG 2008 created some absolutely priceless memories for our whole family. It's like it was God's way of giving us that one last "hurrah" while we still had Joseph on this earth to laugh with. We pulled up that day last month and my heart was heavy. The weather was the same, the air felt the same, the sun cast the same shadows across the lawn just like it had exactly three years prior. Joseph wouldn't be there that day, but is was alright. He would be there in spirit.

As always, we had a fantastic time and fantastic food. Aunt Brenda always goes all out and this year was no exception. Mom always brings a large portion of the food, but this year she hadn't been around to cook on our designated cooking day (Tuesday) because she was in the hospital being treated for more chest pains. That explanation deserves an entire entry of it's own and hopeful I can get to that. Because Mom wasn't there, I spent all day cooking with Cody by my side and with a {very} little bit of help from my siblings.

The weather was completely perfect. It wasn't cold enough for kids to need jackets, but it was crisp enough to feel like Thanksgiving. The kids had a lot of fun feeding the horses and I was amazed at how gently Andrew was while helping the kids. At one point Lauren began to climb on the barb wire fence to reach the horses better, and big and burly Andrew came along and picked her up and just stood there holding her over the fence so she could have an easier time feeding and petting them. He stood there, holding her effortlessly over the fence and I asked him if his arms were tired. In his thick and rugged Texas twang he said "Nope...don't want her to get hurt." Aaaw, what a marshmallow!

The kids had a great time getting reacquainted with the cousins from Emily. Boady is three months older than Hailey and Briar is two months younger than Lauren. I wish we all lived closer so they could know each other better! Emily brought over their pony, Tinkerbell, and of course the girls were enthralled. Emily told me she actually bought her for only $400 from a lady and the pony was in excellent shape. I wish we had land so the kids could have pets like that!

I can't wait to go back to Texas for Thanksgiving because we always have a great time at the Scott's place in Tolar!

Texas Thanksgiving- The Art Barn

2011-12-12T22:27:00.001-08:00

On Wednesday afternoon we headed to the north end of Joshua to a new place that recently opened up call The Art Barn. The Clemons met us there from their drive up from Killeen and it was a fun reunion seeing everyone. I couldn't believe how much the girls had grown! Lilly has braces!! The Art Barn was a really cool place full of ceramics ready to paint. Ethan chose a four wheeler, Hailey a unicorn, Lauren a shark (of all the things to choose from...this one made us laugh), Devin of course chose a Lightening McQueen bank, Devin "chose" a cute dragon, and I painted a cookie plate to use for Christmas. Once things were painted it took two weeks for them to fire them and return the pieces to the store, so obviously we wouldn't be able to take them with us. My parents will be bringing them with them in March when they come for Ethan's baptism. I can't wait to see how everything turned out! (BTW, the paint colors will look much darker and more vibrant once the pieces are fired.)

Texas Thanksgiving- Polar Bears

2011-12-12T22:26:00.001-08:00

It's tradition, when at Granana's house, to swim. In the summers, swimming is the center of our lives...which is a survival skill in Texas with the hot, hot summers. The kids talk about "swimming at Granana and Gov's house" all the time, so naturally they were expecting to swim this go around. I tried to explain that it is too chilly in November, but they wouldn't hear it. Lauren seemed to be the only one with any sense because she never touched the water. Devin stood outside the gate with Uncle Philip screaming because he wanted to swim as well. The video of Ethan jumping in the pool is priceless. He screamed like a little girl, but the dufus did it a second time!! I guess he really wanted to swim!

Garrett Allan- 7 Months Old

2011-11-04T07:59:00.000-07:00

Dear Garrett,

You turned seven months yesterday. SEVEN MONTHS!! You are growing up too fast and I order you, as your mother, to slow down a little. You are my last baby and I am not ready to leave this stage of my life. I love having babies around and as much as I want to add to our family, you are it. So let me enjoy this time for a bit longer, okay?

I have to apologize for not doing monthly updates as earnestly as I should. You are, after all, the fifth kid and with that comes a smidge of neglect. Not that I am neglecting you, but certain things fall by the wayside and journaling about your every development is one of them. You may not get my full attention in that respect, but the plus side being the youngest is that you have four older siblings who worship and adore you. Ethan never had that! Lauren especially loves you and I think she wants to be your mom. The first thing she wants to do each morning is wake you up. And if you are only a blanket on the living room floor, it takes all my attention to make sure she doesn' accidentally kill you with kindness. And you know what? I think you love the attention she gives you. You always have a huge smile on your face as she walks around with you. You love it, but it about gives me a heart attack each time!

Devin is starting to be more happy to have you around as well. He will now say your name instead of just "Baby" or "Baby G". I'm sure y'all will be best friends and you will be just as naughty as Moo. You laugh a lot, and always at anythiung Ethan says or does. If I am holding you on the couch and Ethan is there too, you stare at him as if you are waiting for him to entertain you. And all he has to do is sneeze or clear his throat and you think it's hilarious. No one can make you laugh like he can.

I can not keep you still. Changing your diaper is a hard thing because you want to roll around and move! When I took your seven month pictures you rolled from one side of the bed to the other and wouldn't stay as I put you. Uh oh, I think we are in for it with you.

Devin's Boo-Boo

2011-11-03T23:51:00.000-07:00

Devin is for sure our most accident-prone child. It comes with also being the most adventurous and and fearless one. We joke that he's lucky to live to see five years old, and we're only half joking. He scares us to death on a daily basis with his antics and he keeps us on our toes.

On Tuesday we were in a hurry to get to ballet. Kids all ran out to the van and I clicked the button on my remote to open the sliding door. I then truned to shut the lights off and I heard some screams and then "Devin has blood!!!" {SIGH} What now. I found Devin sitting on the seat with blood gushing from the side of his head, pouring out and dripping off his golden curls. I don't-do-blood. Poop and throw up I can do, but blood makes me faint. I tried not to panic like the kids were, so I grabbed a ton of baby wipes out of the diaper bag and pressed them to his head. Wipes...riiiiight. I couldn't even tell where the blood was coming from because there was so much! I held Devin and called Cody on my cell to tell him what happened. I felt paralyzed. He told me to get to urgent care now! Luckily I already had everyone in the car and we were obviously going to miss ballet.

To make a long story short, Devin did in fact have a 1 1/2 in gash on his head. I still have no clue what happened. but Lauren swears she saw it and that the sliding door hit his head. Nonetheless, we got it to stop bleeding, he had no signs of head trauma, and he got some staples. I did almost faint as I held him down while the doc stapled his head. It was highly embarrassing when one of the nurses had to tend to me, the mom.

Devin goes in to Dr. Allred next week to have the staples removed. The poor guy is going to have a horrible time with it. Hopefully we won't go through this again any time soon. One can hope, right?

Halloween 2011

2011-11-03T23:33:00.000-07:00

Halloween was great and we're happen to report that it was uneventful. As in, no illness or accident. Mom was stressed trying to get everything ready and everyone dressed to go trick-or-treating. This year a big group of friends went together, which stressed Mom even more because she was rushed to get people out the door on time as not to hold anyone up! We had the biggest brood and the most to get ready, and she worried that the other families felt annoyed as they waited. Oh well.

This year our new friends, Casen and Aubrey, joined us for our spooky dinner. And it was oh-so-spooky. Mummy dogs, pumpkin barf, human blood and bones, roach and ghost poop, rat guts....it was all nasty and tasted delicious at the same time. This was Devin's first time trick-or-treating and he lasted the entire time with the bigger kids! And we were thrilled that he agreed to wear a costume. We had to jump through a lot of hoops to get him to wear something...so a cow it was. And very appropriate!

The Baby Boys

2011-11-03T23:25:00.000-07:00

Words can't describe how much joy these two guys bring into my life. Seventeen and a half months separate them in age and although times are challenging, I love that they are close. I love that I have the chance to raise two little ones as "babies" together. I love equal cuddle time between them, and better yet, I love it when I am feeding Garrett and Devin needs love too and climbs up into my other lap to lay his head on my arm and twirl my hair between his fingers. It's often times magical. No mother has ever been so lucky.

Movie Date With Mom

2011-11-03T23:16:00.001-07:00

Cody sent me out with the three older kids on Saturday to see a movie. The girls (especially Hailey) have been wanting to see "Dolphin Tale" so that's what we saw. We went all the way out to the Megaplex in Sandy, and as we were driving out there, I realized the last time I was at that theatre I was pregnanct with Ethan! I told the kids about that and they thought it was amazing. They love hearing about times in my life before they were born. Then Hailey and Lauren wanted to know what movies I saw when I was pregnant with each of them. Love memories like that. Love talking about it with the kids.

The movie turned out to be incredible. I cried and wanted to cheer at the end. It's not that often that a REALLY great movie comes out that you actually want to see with your whole family. This was that kind of movie, and you can be sure we'll add this one to out DVD collection when it hits stores.
Notice Ethan plugging his ears in this picture? He does that when he SEES something he doesn't like. I used to and still do the exact same thing! It was a perfect afternoon with these great kiddos.

Pumpkin Carving 2011

2011-10-28T23:30:00.000-07:00

12 pumpkins sit on our porch. The five biggest are now carved, and I think we'll stop there. We had a fun night carving pumpkins while watching game seven of the World Series. Sadly, our Texas Rangers didn't come through. All that aside, it was a good night. By the way, a drywall saw is the perfect thing to carve pumpkins with. Cuts like butter!

Chudda & Moo Check-Ups

2011-10-26T12:43:00.000-07:00

Lauren and Devin had their annual check-ups last week. It's nice that their birthdays (like Ethan and Hailey's) fall three weeks apart, so we can double up on appointments like this. Both of them received the flu vaccine, and poor Devin got two more shots in his legs. Lauren is still tiny and petite for her age, which I'm sure she will love when she is an adult. Devin is more in the middle, and the doctor discovered that his ear tubes have fallen out! It's completely normal for them to fall out when they outgrow them, but I was hoping I would have found them because that's the kind of thing I like to save. Gross, I know. Both kids were given a perfect bill of health which always makes me grateful. Here are their stats:

Lauren at 4 years old:
Weight- 30.2 lbs = 10%
Height- 38.5 inches = 21%
BMI- 14.3 = 18%

Devin at 2 years old:
Weight- 26.6 lbs = 32%
Height- 34.5 inches = 61%
BMI- 15.7 = 24%

Garrett's Surgery

2011-10-24T22:25:00.000-07:00

2011 will go down in history as the year of the surgeries. We have averaged every other month this year being in the hospital with someone going under the knife. On October 24th, it was little Garrett's turn.

The day after he was born, they took him to be circumcised. The ped brought him back only a few minutes later and said that they couldn't finish the job because they found him to have a condition called "Hypospadias". It's when in utero, the urethral opening doesn't fuse all the way and it leaves what seems to be TWO holes. This may not sound like a big deal, but apparently the ability to pee standing up is a huge thing for a guy. You don't want to be at the urinal in a public restroom and hit the guy standing next to you with a surprise. Sorry buddy, I shot you with a little something there.

They normally do surgery for the at about six months old...and no sooner. They often times need to the foreskin to repair the problem, this the reason they could not circumcise him at birth. Back in June we saw a pediatric urologist who came highly recommended from some friends of ours. Mike Taylor happens to be a urology resident at the U and his own son had this same condition. so we saw Patrick Cartwright and he was certain he could fix the problem when Garrett was six months old.

The day came, and like always, I was a nervous wreck at the thought of my baby being put under anesthesia. Actually, on this particular day I was more nervous about his surgery starting so late in the day and poor Baby G being sooooooo hungry! But he handled it like a champ. Dr. Anderton was his anesthesiologist and he was wonderful. He was an older guy who had grown children and he was so good to Garrett. When I saw him carry my little baby off through the big white doors, cradled in his arms, I was overcome with emotion, but more so grateful that he was in such good care.

An hour later, Dr. Cartwright came in to say everything went great. By this time it was 3:15 in the afternoon and I knew Garrett would be so hungry when he woke up. I was finally able to go see him in recovery and he was hysterical. The nurses couldn't pass him off to me fast enough because they could do nothing to console him. His poor face was beat red and tear stained. I sat down in the rocking chair to feed him and he was like a vulture, very ready to eat. He ate and ate and ate!!

When we got home he slept for most of the day and well into the night. But at midnight he woke up hungry and he then realized that his manhood had been tampered with and he was very angry!! He cried a lot during the night every time he wet his diaper, because it burned so much. We didn't get a lot of sleep those first two nights, but by day three he was doing much better. I feel we made the right decision in doing this surgery and I am very thankful for the doctors and staff at our wonderful hospital who take such a personal interest in each of our babies!

The Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-21T22:32:00.001-07:00

The kids have been out of school for two days because of UEA. Today we took advantage of the gorgeous weather and the day off and headed out to the Pumpkin Patch. As we were pulling out of the driveway, Lauren asked "Is Dad meeting us there?" Nope, not this time. We sure missed him this trip!

The sky was completely clear...maybe a little TOO clear (if there is such a thing). Made for a lot of squinty eyes. The temp was right below 70, and after pushing the carts around everyone was complaining of thirst. It never occured to me to bring water, but I made a mental note to bring it next time! Devin kept running away as usual, and Lauren was being quite the pill. I suppose she was acting just like any four year old princess should. We had a very fun time and we now have thirteen pumpkins on our porch! Not all from this trip, but I think five of them are. We love Halloween!

Parental Revenge

2011-10-21T22:23:00.001-07:00

My parents sent Devin a birthday package and after taking the presents out, the remainder of the box was stuffed with packing peanuts. Stupid me left the open box in the front room. This is what happened in ten minutes while I nursed the baby upstairs. This junk has serious static cling and is now covering every surface in the area. I had to bathe the kids twice to only get most of it off. Let me tell you it does not come out of hair! Thank goodness for the shop vac. I sweat they sent his presents packed in peanuts as some sort of twisted revenge!

Girl Scout Investiture

2011-10-06T22:40:00.000-07:00

Two years ago, when Hailey was three and a half, I started thinking about Girl Scouts. I remembered back to my days as a Scout and I have so many wonderful memories of that time in my life. I began looking into local troops and I found none. Absolutely none, at least not for very young girls. I knew Hailey would be elidgible to start Girl Scouts when she entered kindergarten, and I started finding out how to form a troop from the ground up. Little did I know at the time what would come of that small idea from way back then.

I am very fortunate that my friend and neighbor, Anabel, was very eager to help me with the endeavor. She had no experience with Girl Scouts, but she was interested and wanted that opportunity for her daughter. So was very willing to volunteer as my co-leader and I am so grateful for her! We originally set out to have maybe seven or eight girls in our troop, and we have ended up with fifteen! We actually had to start turning people away at a certain point because our troop was filled to the brim.

We have been meeting regularly since the school year began and what a fun adventure this has been. Tonight we had our first official program where the girls got "invested" into Girl Scouts and made a pledge with the Girl Scout Promise. We had a wonderful turnout from the girls' friends and families, and I am very thankful to Cody and the other parents who helped tonight. We couldn't have done it without them! We tried to make tonight very personal for each girl, and we displayed pictures of each of them in full uniform with a bio about them. We also had several troop group shots displayed as well.

I hope Hailey has a good time in Girl Scouts. From what she says and how she acts, I think she is having a blast. I think that EVERY girl should have this opprotunity available to her, and I hope that when Lauren enters kindergarten in two years that another mom will have stepped up and started a troop for girls her age. She wants so badly to be in our troop, so I call her an "honorary Scout" and let her sit in on the activities. I have a feeling that Anabel and I have started something. Maybe we're trailblazers and have started a Girl Scout movement within our community! I would love to see several more troops form in the next few years!

Lessons in Prayer

2011-10-04T18:44:00.000-07:00

To say that Devin's energy level gives us a run for our money is a huge understatement. He is into everything and anything and I'm always worried he is going to get hurt...or worse. Today he did something that would have caused a major challenge for our family, but the Lord showed His goodness and taught us a lesson in the meantime.

To make a very long story short, Devin lost our last and only set of keys to the van. This is a huge deal because it would cost a ton of money to get a new set made from scratch. Everything involved in doing that was way beyond our budget right now and it would be a financial mess. Might sound trivial to some people...after all they are just keys. But Cody and I have already lost the other two sets and this one remaining set we guard with our lives. So of course Baby Badness stole them and hid them somewhere.

When I discovered what he had done, I panicked. And then panic turned to fear and I started crying- a lot. I tried to get him to show me where they were, but he thought it was a game. Reasoning with a barely two year old who doesn't talk a whole lot is like chasing a drunk cat. This went on for over and hour and I tore this house apart looking. What I feared most was facing Cody, who already thinks I'm spacey about keeping track of my things. He would be furious and think it was my fault; I was sure of it. (Now looking back, I doubt he would have reacted that way when he saw how upset I was.)

Lauren and Hailey were home, but Hailey had been in bed all day with a high fever. I tried to get Lauren to help me look, but she wasn't much more help than Devin. Ethan came home from school and instead of my cheerful greeting, I was in tears and told him what had happened. Lauren realized how serious is was when I said "If I can't find the van keys, you can't go to school anymore to see Sam!" (The story of the infamous Sam needs an entry of it's own.) Lauren started to cry and she began to really help me look. But still, the keys were nowhere. Not in a toy box, a laundry basket, a trashcan, a toilet...none of Devin's typical hiding places.

Finally I decided we needed to pray. I gathered Ethan and Hailey by me and I said a very fervent prayer. Yes, I prayed over lost keys with all my heart. I prayed that either we would find them on our own or that Devin would lead us to where they were. Lauren and I were both crying pretty hard and Ethan was just worried because I was so upset.

Almost immediately upon ending the prayer, I had a feeling to get up and go back into our bedroom. Both Garrett and Hailey were sleeping in there and I hated to disturb them, so I told Lauren to wait out in the hall while I checked one more time. I went in and looked one more time on the closet floor and surrounding area and was about to leave the room when I had a feeling to look inside the playpen where Garrett was sleeping. I had already looked in there, but since he was sleeping I didn't look closely. Then I saw something shiny catch my eye.

There they were.

The keys, I'm guessing, had been dropped over the side and slid down between the pad and the playpen wall. Not visible unless you looked closely, which I had not done before. I came back out into the hall and quietly shut the door behind me. I had a huge smile on my face and jingled them and Lauren started screaming with joy. "Now you can take me to school tomorrow!!"

Again we gathered on the couch to say a prayer of gratitude to Heavenly Father. Lauren insisted on saying it and her prayers touch me like no other. Such sweetness, such sincerity. Yes, even over something as trivial as lost keys. When she finished, Ethan asked if he could say a prayer too because he was so happy. Gosh, my heart melted into a big puddle.

I have been terrible about saying my personal prayers lately, but this was a great reminder that my Father in Heaven is aware of me and my every need. He knows me and whatever is important to me, is important to Him as well. I'm grateful that my children were able to be part of this and see first hand how Heavenly Father answers prayers, even about simple things. I am very thankful for this experience today and I hope to not soon forget it.

Half Birthday and Solids

2011-10-03T21:50:00.002-07:00

Six months? SIX MONTHS?! Where have these last six months gone? I am baffled that the first half our our last baby's first year is over. Did you catch all that? On General Conference Sunday I was sitting there feeding my precious guy and it occured to me that exactly six months before on General Conference weekend in April, my water broke and Garrett was born in the wee hours on Sunday morning. And here I sat, nursing my smiley and oh so delicious boy who is growing further and further away from being my tiny baby who loves to snuggle with me.

Two momentous occasions took place. First being, the ceremonial half birthday cupcake. Yes it's kind of silly, but we have celebrated each of our babies' first half birthdays. At that age they don't know what to think of the hulabaloo. The flame of the candle holds their interest for a few seconds and then they start to look around. No grabbing for the cake or anything like it. Just wonder. And we always give them a tiny taste of the treat set before them. This time it was a Hostess chocolate cupcake and he tasted a very small piece of icing. Nope, not a fan...yet. He made a horrible grimace and tried to spit ot back out.

And with the half birthday comes the first solid food. Garrett's appetite is very ready for more than just milk, but he still greatly prefers milk to anything else. And he greatly prefers mommy's skin in his mouth to anything else. I must say that it fills me with pride when my babies want me and only me. I love that I am the only one who can make them happy and give them what they need. He had mushed up fresh banana as his first meal, but in reality that meal consisted of only a few spoonfuls of the stuff. He seemed to like it okay, but wasn't sure what to do with it once it hit his tongue. Mighty strange texture compared to what normally goes in there. But we'll keep trying. He's got a lifetime ahead of him to eat real food, so for now we are in no rush to get him there...yet.

Halloween Kick-Off

2011-10-03T13:16:00.000-07:00

It's October! We really love October around here and we started off the month with a "scary" movie and Halloween treat on Saturday night. We rented Disney's "Spooky Buddies" and the kids loved it. Cody and I were making fun of it the whole time but the kids thought we were being serious and that we REALLY loved it. Good thing they don't get our sarcasm just yet. I am sure that movie will be up for an Oscar come February. We had orange and brown chocolate drizzled pretzels, which turned out to be a bad idea because Devin got chocolate all over everything. Oh well, all in the name of Halloween!

Double Trouble

2011-10-03T13:13:00.001-07:00

I have a feeling we are in for it! Devin is a holy terror most of the time (an adorable terror, mind you, but a terror nonetheless!) and since there is only a seventeen month age gap between them, I think Garrett is biding his time until he can join Devin in his evil and mischievous ways. Oh these boys are cute, but they are already giving us a lot of gray hairs!

Another Year of Ballet

2011-10-03T13:08:00.000-07:00

Hailey and Lauren started ballet the week of Labor Day. I was hoping to get them in classes either at the same time, or at least only an hour apart. Since Hailey moved up a level this year, they would obviously not be in the same class anymore. Luckily, the schedule worked out well. Lauren goes at 1:00 and Hailey goes at 2:00. Becky is teaching both classes and the girls adore her! She is wonderul and professional and loves the girls and teaching. Being at the studio for a full two hours has been tricky with Devin and Garrett...mainly Devin. The boy is into everything and wants to run wild! Hhhmmmm....he must be two years old. They are already working on their huge recital in March and this year they are doing "Cinderella". They do amazing productions and I'm sure this year will be no different. Lauren's group dances as pumpkins and Hailey's group as mice. It's going to be great!

Little Photographers

2011-10-03T13:05:00.001-07:00

Not long after I had surgery and was completely bed-ridden, one of the kids got a hold of my Cannon point and shoot and went to town. I forgot about it until today when I went to clean out the memory card and found these masterpieces. Ansel Adams really has nothing on them!

Veronica's Foot Surgery

2011-10-03T13:04:00.001-07:00

(Below picture taken right before surgery on August 19th)

I was taking a step aerobics class as a teenager when I first noticed the strange feeling in my left foot. It was as if my shoes were too small, but I knew that wasn't the case. During that time I worked as a cashier in our local grocery store and I was on my feet for hours at a time and I'd feel it then. The sensation in that foot was hard to describe; kind of a numbing feeling, a little pain, some tingling... I learned to live with it.

Around the time Cody and I got married it started to get worse. I bought a pair of really nice hiking boots in a size that had always fit, but for some reason they dug in to that left foot.

As years went on, it got worse and worse. After Devin was born it so bad that wearing closed tow shoes of any kind was painful. And because of the pain that foot, I had taught myself to walk in a way that threw my whole alignment out of wack. Talk about you classic domino effect! Right after Garrett was born early this past spring, the pain had gone into my right foot as well, and even standing barefoot now hurt. Because the pain seemed to be very abstract, I told myself that it was arthritis. It was kind of vague and I didn't want to see a doctor for fear that he wouldn't be able to give me a definitive answer, so I was going to live with it forever. Yes, it was greatly affecting my quality of life, but such was my fate.

Early in the summer Cody decided he was sick of listening to me gripe about my feet, so he "forced" me to see a doctor. When I went to see Dr. Ryan Anderson, I had very little expectations. At that first appointment, before the doctor even came in to consult with me, the nurse did several x-rays. Everything looked normal and I felt crushed. Dr. Anderson finally came in and I explained to him in detail this crazy and abstract pain that I'd been living with for half my life. He chuckled and asked me I'd ever read any podiatry text books because what I was describing was classic Morton's Neuroma. Wow. A diagnosis!

He explained that in my feet, the horizontal ligaments were greatly compressing the nerves that run up and down the foot. Over time, the compression caused benign tumors to form on the nerves, thus the cause of the pain and numbness. He said 90% of the time there is a simple surgery to fix it where they go in and clip certain ligaments to free up space; or to decompress the nerves and then the nerves will eventually heal. I was ecstatic to hear that there was not on;y a cure for my problem, but a simple one at that!!!

A few days before my scheduled surgery, I went back in to the doc and he did an ultrasound of both feet and what he found made me uneasy. He said the neuromas where in fact HUGE and that if they are too big, he has to remove them completely. Anyone who knows anything about the purpose of nerves knows that you never want to remove a nerve unless absolutely necessary. He said that he wouldn't be able to tell for sure how much damage there was until he was inside the foot.

Surgery day came on August 19th, four days before the kids started school. I was very nervous about it because of the possibly worst case scenario of the nervectomy and how that would limit my ability to care for my family and I did NOT want to miss out on the first day of school! The surgery went great, but unfortunately the damage was very bad and he had to remove to huge nerves in each foot. When I came to in recovery the nurse told me about it and my heart broke. I was very scared that it would leave my feet partially paralyzed and that I would never walk right again. I told myself I was better off living with the pain!

The next three days were hard because I was on strict bedrest- only able to leave the bed to use the bathroom. I have never been one to sit on my but and enjoy it much of the time, and being glued to the bed made me crazy. I always shower once a day, sometimes twice, so going 72 hours without a shower was torture! I had these Frankenstein looking shoes I had to strap onto my feet to walk the ten feet to the toilet, and I had to have Cody help me with it each time. So embarrassing. Jane came into town on Sunday night and stayed for the next ten days while I laid in bed most of the time. Awful. I did get to escort the kids on their first day of school because Cody borrowed a wheelchair from work and pushed me along in it. But that turned out to be too much because when I got home (even though my feet had been elevated) I started bleeding again. This ended up happening several time during that first ten days.

The next month was filled with a lot of emotion. The experience gave me small look at what someone who has been in an accident and left handicapped feels like. I didn't know from day to day how much function I'd have back in my feet and if I'd ever have a normal life again. Because of all the "what ifs" surrounding the nervectomy, we didn't know what would be permanent and what would regenerate in time. I cried alot of felt so defeated as I tried to do everyday things like brush my teeth or help the kids get ready for school each morning.

Toward the end of September, just when I was feeling hopeful that in time I would heal, I developed a nasty staph infection in the right foot. I haven't been in that much pain in a LONG time. But a round of heavy antibiotics healed it pretty well. Then three weeks later that foot started throbbing again but I could find no reason why it hurt so much. The wounds were FINALLY closed and it looked okay. I should mention that I had absolutely no feeling on and around the balls of my feet. I went to the doc and he examined my foot and found a huge shard of glass that I didn't know was there. Amazing that I never felt it! Good to know the source of the infection and thank goodness for modern medicine. This kind of thing would have killed a person 100 years ago!

I am now starting to feel confident in my ability to heal. I am still missing feeling and function in a large part of me feet, but it's MUCH better than it was during those first few weeks. I pray that my body continues to heal and that I will later look back at this and know that I made the right decision to do the surgery!

Freezing Time

2011-10-03T10:57:00.000-07:00

I know that people get sick of me talking about my children growing up. Getting bigger. One day no longer being children. And maybe I am weird, or maybe I have dreamed about having babies and kids my whole life and now I'm realizing that this stage of life is passing me by. No, it is flying by at the speed of light. I am realizing more and more every day that I will only know these little people for a little while. I will only know Devin as a spirited and destructive two year old for a short time. Garrett will be the baby who loves to suck on my chin and snuggle with me all hours of the day for just a few more short months. Ethan will only be the kid who loves robots and Harry Potter and Star Wars and Legos for a few more years...if I'm lucky. And the girls- this evening while I was making dinner they had their door closed and "The Nutcracker" soundtrack was blasting from their room. Laughing, giggling, screaming, mayhem- it was what I was hearing. Their love of Barbies and mermaids and ballet and making believe is what makes up their lives at this moment and I will only know those lives for a short time.

People say the reason we have children is to make future adults. To teach them and groom them and help them be independent and successful in their own lives. Well, I beg to differ. I know their adulthood is looming and it will be here before we know it, so for now, I love them being little. There are extremely difficult days and sleepless nights and throw up and tantrums and mountains of laundry. But there is also LOTS of love and giggles and fun to be had. How I wish I could freeze time. My mom used to tell me that she wished she could put a brick on my head to keep me little. I never understood that feeling until I had children, especially now that our last baby is getting closer and closer to leaving his babyhood behind. Freezing this moment in time sounds great.

First Day of School

2011-08-22T12:17:00.004-07:00

Ethan is a big second grader this year. His teacher is Miss Ulrich and he's excited because his good friend Samuel is in his class, along with his new friend Caysen who moved in aross the street a couple of months ago. We went to meet hi teacher last week and we are imporessed with her, although it's a downer that his classroom is in one of the portable buildings way outside. It kind of feel exiling from the rest of the school. And there isn't a bathroom or water fountain out there! The kids are supposed to bring a water bottle from home, and if they have to use the restroom they have to go all the way back inside the school. Good thing Ethan has a strong bladder!

Hailey finally got to start kindergarten. She has been excited about this day ever since Ethan started kindergarten at the same school two years ago. She was accepted into the French Immersion Program at school and her teacher is Madame Taylor. She is highly qualified as a French teacher, although this is her first year teaching kindergarten. This morning we had an orientation with her and we like her a lot. It will be interesting to see how this year plays out with a child learning a new language. Hailey is very excited about it and hopefully her enthusiasm will ease her struggles as she copes with this challenge. She was very happy that two of her good friends are in the same class as well. Ada and Jace both live on our street, so having buddies in there will make this transition a little smoother.

Devin's First Haircut

2011-08-22T12:17:00.003-07:00

When Devin's hair started sprouting a year ago, we realzed that we had another curly haired kid on our hands! His blonde curly locks got longer and longer, and we were very hesitant to cut them...even a little. When Ethan had his first haircut at the same age, it started growing in straighter and straighter. Now you would never know that once upon a time his hair was as curly as his little brother's hair. Well, the time finally came and Cody and I decided to trim it just a little. Only around the ears and neck. We would leave it long and curly on top. The kid did NOT want to sit still for a cutting, but bribing him with Pringles and gummy worms did the trick. I think the outcome is pretty cute! Why is it that cutting a fraction of an inch of baby hair off suddenly makes them age an entire year? Sad.

Lauren's Cast Removal

2011-08-22T12:17:00.001-07:00

After almost seven weeks of waiting and being totally inconvenienced, Lauren got to have her cast removed. She never had a plaster cast, but rather a tape cast. They are very similar, but her arm and hand were splinted and then a special tape was wrapped around it. The middle layer was bandaged, and then the outer layers were Coban tape that we had to change almost every day. By the last week her poor arm was just a modgepodge of whatever Coban tapes we had left. Boy the thing was very nasty looking and smelled horrible!

Lauren was very apprehensive about having the cast removed. She had nursed her arm and was very protective of it. She was very scared the morning we went in to see the orthopedist, and she kept saying "I want the sleep medicine so that I will go to sleep and won't be scared." Sorry kid, but there was no way you were puting your mama through the worry of another round of general anesthesia!
Lauren had a pin in her finger and when they took it out, I about lost my breakfast. Blood squirted out everywhere and even got on my clothes. For a mom with five kids, I have an incredibly weak stomach. Lauren cried a lot and I tried to keep it together so that MY fear didn't rub off on her even more.

Her hand and arm looked like it belonged to a zombie. And her fingernails that had been inside he cast were about half an inch long! I was not prepared for how gruesome it would be when they took everything off. Lauren was way more brave than I was.

After lots of waiting and x-rays, the orthopedist seemed very pleased with how it turned out. He said that in three months she will go back in and he'll evaluate things and see where we go from there. Dr. Hutchinson sent us over to the Orthopdeic Hospital to get splinted. After watching how a splint is made, I now believe that it's an art more than a science. Lauren chose purple over pink, which surprised me. Before her splint went on, the therapist had her do some special hand exercises and she showed me how to do them with her at home. Well, Lauren has yet to allow me to do the exercises with her. She is still nursing that hand and refuses to move her fingers. I can't say I blame her! The great news is that her splint is removable and she can swim in it!!! We were so happy to hear that! I have to change the dressings every time she bathes or swims and although I'm not crazy about doing that, if it means we can swim and live life as we once did....I'll take it!

Garrett Allan- 4 Months

2011-08-03T14:34:00.001-07:00

Weight 15.75 lbs = 57%
Height 26.5 inches = 89%
Head 17 inches = 62%

Nine

2011-08-03T14:31:00.001-07:00

Look at this beautiful man! How lucky am I that I get to spend eternity with him? Someone pinch me :)

We celebrated our nine year anniversary on August 1st. So much has happened to us in this {almost] decade of our lives. I love him so much more now than I did the day I married him, and I thought I loved him a lot back then. That night we had Jessica over to babysit the older four, while Garrett played tagalong on our date. It made us giggle when people would ask about the baby and assumed him to be our only child. I loved the looks of surprise when we'd tell them he was actually our fifth. We ate dinner at PF Changs downtown and then headed over to the Gateway to browse some shops and buy some chocolate covered strawberries and some suckers for the kids. We spent a lot of time in Dick's Sporting Goods, and honestly, we could spend hours in that place. Not the most adventurous or romantic anniversary, but just spending quality time together was plenty for me. Here's to many many more happy years!

Look Who Found His Feet!

2011-07-31T19:51:00.001-07:00

There is something adorable and almost magical about the discovery of one's feet. Garrett found his and thinks it's the best thing since...well...the last amazing body part he found.

The Splash Pad

2011-07-31T19:49:00.002-07:00

We live in a very kid friendly neighborhood and they recently built a new park adjacent to a really great splash pad. It opened right about the time Lauren had her surgery and we had pretty much banned all water activities because it was such a risk for her. For several days, friends would call, inviting us to meet them at the splash pad for lunch. I got so tired of telling them "no" so one morning I threw my hands in the air and decided to join the living at the much talked about splash pad. It did not disappoint! It is the perfect size for kids both young and old, and it has really awesome fountains of different kinds. When we went it was the perfect temperature outside and the kids had so much fun. They ran back and forth between the playground and the water all morning. We will be spending a lot of time at the splash pad next summer, I just know it!

Bubble Blowin'

2011-07-31T19:47:00.002-07:00

July 23, 2011

No Empty Seats

2011-07-31T19:47:00.001-07:00

W e had a very important and meaningful FE lesson a couple of weeks ago. It's something that I had been planning and conjuring in my brain for quite some time. Anyone who knows me knows that I am the ultimate planner and organizer. Now, my plans and don't always come to pass, but I love the process nonetheless. Cody and I love dreaming and scheming about our family and our goals. Often times our best talks happen when we are making long road trips as a family. The kids will be zonked out in the back of the van and Cody and I will talk and talk as the miles pass. We LOVE talking about our family and where we are going. Where are we headed? What is our long term vision for our family? Where do we see our family in 5, 10, 50 years?

For Cody and me, our family's vision is summed up into our family motto: No Empty Seats. Most of the time when we say our family prayer (especially morning prayer), after we say "amen" we put our hands into a pile and say "No empty seats!" and then throw our hands up in the air. Yup, it's way cheesy and Cody rolls his eyes when we do it like that, but the kids love it and even twenty month old Devin loves to do it and always has a huge smile on his face as he tries to say the words with us. The kids know that this means we’re headed for the Celestial Kingdom together and we want everyone there. Hopefully, by saying it every day, we’re reminding ourselves of the big picture and that all of our other goals and plans need to, in some way, help us get there.

So one Monday afternoon, the kids and I worked together to make this family timeline. Well, I did most of it because the time consuming part was brainstorming the whole thing...looking back over journals and making sense of where we have been since Cody and I started our family together. When it was finished as much as it could be at this point, I unveiled it that night for FHE and we had a lengthy discussion about what it was and what it meant to us as a family.

Each child in the family has their own colored line. Each child’s line starts on the year that they were born. On their line we’ve filled in all important milestones and when they will take place… a mark on their line for when they’ll start kindergarten, be baptized, receive the priesthood, go into beehives, Mia Maids, Laurels, Deacons, Teachers, Priests, start to date, go to college, go on a mission, etc.

Above each child's line, are all the important family milestones we have reached together. Places we have lived, schooling, jobs we've had, cars we've driven (yes, even details like that are important to us), car accidents, hospitalizations, church callings we've held, deaths in the family (writing in Joseph's death about broke my heart all over again). All of these things seem trivial to other people, but to us, they are all significant paths in this beautifully intricate quilt that we've made over the years.

It’s our family PLAN. We want our children to know what the plan is… and that we EXPECT it to happen. We don’t say IF you decide to go on a mission, they see it actually on their line like it’s part of the plan. And it's not to take away their free agency, but hopefully that by looking at things like that on a regular basis, it will help it feel more real and manifest as a reachable goal. Another neat thing about this timeline is seeing how the kids lines match up. How old will Garrett be when Ethan goes on his mission? How long will Hailey and Lauren be in young women’s together? How many kids will be in elementary school at the same time together (and the answer to that is four kids. Devin will be in kindergarten when Ethan is in sixth grade!) When Mom and Dad have their 35th wedding annivesary, how old will Garrett be? Ha, if you look closely, you will see that if Lauren and Devin both go on missions at the typical time, their missions will overlap by seventeen months! That stuff is very neat to look at.

Part of developing a good relationship with our children is creating that vision together. Cody and I fully plan on and expect that we will have great relationships with our children as they grow older… and we’re working towards that every day. I spend a lot of time talking with the kids on a regular basis about what their futures can look like. Sometimes while painting one of the girls' fingernails, we will start talking about life and I'll say something like "Lauren, I can't wait until you go on your first date and we sit here at the kitchen table and I give you a manicure and help you get ready..." Even though she isn't quite four years old, talking about stuff like that is exciting to her. And in turn, it leads to all other kinds of questions. Because of this, the kids and I seem to constantly be in discussion about what lies ahead and things that our family has to look forward to.

Just this afternoon while I was making lunch, Ethan was asking me about college and what goes on there. "Where will I sleep?" He asked with concern. "Silly, you know you sleep in a college room!" Said Hailey, in reply. And then we talked about Student Union food and classes and how much fun college can be. College? Really? It'll be here before we know it.

I want them to envision or EXPECT that having a great relationship and talking to your mom and dad is just what you do. We talk about how exciting it is going to be to go to kindergarten and how good they will be in their class, about how proud we are that they will be choosing to get baptized, about what it will be like when Ethan starts passing the Sacrament at church, about what it will be like when we drop each of them off at college, about how it will feel when we take each of them to the temple for the first time, about recieving mission calls, what I will feel when I am in the bridal room at the temple, helping my girls get dressed in their wedding gowns...just writing these things is making me tear up. You name it, we talk about it, and I think it helps our kids envision our relationship throughout their lives as well as build the necessary communication skills for a successful close relationship.

So this timeline that we made is rolled up in a safe place in our house. I expect that once in a while we will unroll it to record important events that have taken place, and to check and see where we are in our plan. Hopefully this simple tool will help bring us one step closer to reaching the goal of being together in the Celetstial Kingdom when we pass from this life!

Evening Walks

2011-07-31T19:46:00.003-07:00

One of our favorite things to do as a family (when the weather is decent) is to walk around the neighborhood. We seemingly always end up playing on the school playground, just as we did on this night. Lucky for us, the Taylors had the same idea and it's a good thing we brought a basketball because Mike and Tommy challenged Dad and Ethan to a game of two-on-two. Watching my family run around the playground and chaser each other and laugh really does give me a small glimpse of Heaven.

Dad's Mission

2011-07-31T19:45:00.001-07:00

One Sunday afternoon in July the subject of Cody's mission came up. Cody pulled out his great big mission photo album and showed it to the kids. They thought it was "so funny" and "so cool" to see Dad as a much younger person. They thought it was weird looking at him without any wiskers on his face. Ethan ran and got his globe so they could see exactly where Santiago, Chile was. For days Ethan talked about Chile and how he thinks we should go visit there. I know Cody would love to take us there one day to visit his old mission stomping ground, and maybe one day that can happen. For now I love that our kids have a parent who served a mission and who likes to talk about it with them. Both of my parents were converts to the church, both joining in their late twenties, so I never had the experience of having a returned missionary as a parent. I hope and pray that Cody's example will light a fire within our kids and encourage them to serve missions too one day.

Make New Friends, But Keep the Old

2011-07-31T19:44:00.000-07:00

We had an amazingly fun and very impromptu cookout with some very old friends early in July. Way back in the day, Cody and I were in a college singles ward and we made great friends with some guys and girls, who just happened to branch off and marry one another. I married Cody, Lynnae married Cody's roommate Rich, Brandi married Erin, and Clark remained single. I loved Clark like a brother from our very first meeting and we were so sad when he moved away to Georgia for grad school, still single.

A fews years later, to our delight Clark moved back to attend med school at the U. A while later, he met the most fantastic girl named Jessica, and again to our delight they got married. Then they broke our hearts and moved away to Missouri so Clark could do his OB/GYN residency. The times they have come back to visit have been a HUGE treat for us.

One evening in July Cody got a call from Clark saying they were in town and they would love to see us. Cody invited them and their three kids over for a BBQ the next night. Well I imediately got on the phone and sent texts to Brandi and Lynnae, explaing that it was terribly short notice but that Clark and Jess were in town and were coming for dinner and that hopefully they could make it. We all live in different parts of town and can't get together that often, so I knew it was a very long shot. Plus Rich is in med school and Erin works crazy hours so I didn't get my hopes up.

Well, to my surprise AGAIN the next night we had eight adults and fourteen kids occupying our backyard! Everyone was able to make it, nothing short of an act of God. We had such a fun time and I think we could have sat around and talked late into the night. But alas, everyone had tired kids that needed to go to bed. Sadly I didn't get many pictures because I was so busy visiting. But I'm glad I got this beautiful one of Jess stuffing her face! I can't wait to be able to get together like this again. Unfortunately Clark is now a fully employed OB/GYN in Missouri and we won't be seeing much of them, but we'll take what we can get!

Lauren's Surgery

2011-07-31T19:43:00.001-07:00

On July 6th, Lauren was finally able to have the first surgery to correct the macrodactly in her left hand. I was a nervous wreck for the days leading up to surgery, because I am always scared when my kids go under anesthesia. I prayed and bargained with the Lord to make the surgery go well, and it looks like it's time for me to pay up! Everything went splendidly.

The worst part of the day for Lauren was having to starve. Her surgery wasn't until 2:15 and she wasn't able to have any solid food from the time she woke up that morning. All she could have was Jello up until noon, and at first she thought that was great, but then even Jello wasn't fixing her hunger and she complained alot about being hungry. Ha, the next day when she woke up she said "Mom, I don't have to have MORE Jello, do I?"

Dad was able to suit up and go with her back into the OR, so she wouldn't be afraid. He stayed with her until she was asleep and then he joined me in the family waiting area. I tried to keep my mind occupied, but even my Harry Potter book wasn't doing the trick. But the surgery went well, and it lasted about 1 1/2 hours. Dr. Hutchinson came in to talk to us when it was all over and he said that it went as well as he had hoped for, but that she would likely need a couple more surgeries as she continued to grow. He had to cut and stretch a ligament in her finger and he put a pin in to keep it in place. Luckily he did not have to remove a nerve, which had been a huge worry for us. He splinted it, put a tape cast on, and covered the whole thing with Coban. I was shocked when I saw just how much bandaging was covering her arm, considering it was just her finger that had been messed up. But in order to hold the finger in place, he had to protect and keep the whole lower arm from moving.

I was so anxious to see her in recovery, and it broke my heart a little when I saw my spunky and spirited little girl so heavily sedated. It took about an your for her to wake up and realize who I was, and to my surprise, she had no problems coming out of anesthesia. It affects Devin and me badly and makes us very angry and hyper when we wake up, but Lauren opened her eyes just like Sleeping Beauty and just smiled. Then she got to eat a popsicle and all was well. Dad finally got to come in and she was super happy to see him too.

The next several weeks were a challenge in some ways because of her pain and keeping cast protected and dry. It put a real damper on our summer because she couldn't go swimming at all, so as a result none of us did much swimming or even playing outside in the water because it seemed that no matter what we did, the cast got a little wet each time.

Lauren was a real trooper through the whole experience and hopefully next time the doctor does another repair, she will be older and better able to handle the stress of being somewhat incapatcitated.

4th of July

2011-07-31T19:42:00.001-07:00

We weren't going to go out of town for the 4th, but we decided to at the last minute. We headed up to Idaho and the kids had a great time hanging out with cousins, as usual. We had a weenie roast, went to the parade, played baseball in the yard, did LOTS of fireworks and firecrackers, went swimming at the city pool, saw the fireworks show at night, and played a LOT. Garrett was at the peek of his fussy stage and he and Mom spent most of the time camped out the bedroom as she tried to get him to eat and sleep. As a result she dived deeply into the Harry Potter series (reading kept her sane during that difficult time) and she became an absolute HP addict. Overall it was a great visit and we're glad we went!

Discovery Gateway

2011-07-31T19:41:00.002-07:00

The only time we ever go to Discovery Gateway is when I have a two for one coupon, and I had one at the end of June so we went there for the day. I think the kids would LIVE there if we could! Play play play play play. No one got lost or hurt...so I think the day was a success!

Cousin BBQ

2011-07-31T19:41:00.001-07:00

Cody's dad is one of ten children, so to say they have a lot of family around is quite the understatment. He has a group of cousins who like to get together...but it doesn't happen NEARLY as often as it should. We need to be better about getting together more often, especially considering we all only live within an hour of each other! Toward the end of June, Dave and Allison hosted a cookout at their incredible house. The house is nice enough, but their property is a child's paradise. Perfect place to raise a family. The kids had a blast chasing chickens around, playing soccer, jumping on the trampoline, playing volleyball, and getting into mischief. And the adults had a great time catching up. Thanks, Mickelsens, for hosting! We need to do it again soon!

Backyard Summer Fun

2011-07-31T19:40:00.001-07:00

Oh how we love summer!! The first half of the season was spent mainly playing with friends and spending a LOT of time in the backyard. With a new baby and a toddler, it's hard venturing out too much so we have stayed closer to home. But it's been okay because we had friends over almost every single day! A slip 'n slide, a wading pool, a trampoline, and a freezer stocked with and endless supply of popsicles makes for a great afternoon.

Swimming!

2011-07-31T19:37:00.002-07:00

We spent a huge amount of June swimming at the Rec Center. Cody and I for sure created some water bugs for children! But I'll admit that juggling all five at the pool by myself is EXREMELY hard and takes a huge amount of preparation. It's been a let down that we haven't been able to swim since Lauren had surgery at the beginning of July, but you can bet that when her cast comes off on August 17th we will be making up for lost time...before the weather starts change into autmun. No summer! Don't go!!!

Basketball Clinic

2011-07-31T19:37:00.001-07:00

Ethan was able to participate in a month long basketball clinic in June. It was a great opportunity for all of us because our good friends, the Taylors, were there every day too. Tommy was signed up for the same clinic so Ethan was really happy to have one of his best buds there with him. And while the boys played ball, Emma and I played at the park with our other kids. It forced us to get out a few times a week and play, and sometimes busy moms need that excuse to just SLOW DOWN and play. Ethan really loved his first exposure to playing basketball, and he wants to sign up for the city's basketball league in late fall. Dad and he have gone out to the elementary school basketball court several times to practice, and wouldn't you know it, Tommy and his dad are sometimes out there also and it creates a great game of two on two!

Sunday Picnic

2011-07-31T19:34:00.000-07:00

One Sunday afternoon in June Cody got the idea that we should take a picnic dinner out to our favorite park. Great idea! But as we were packing up and getting ready to leave, we noticed that Lauren had fallen asleep on the couch. And that is always a VERY bad thing late in the afternoon. Upon waking her up, we unleashed a savage monster and she had the meltdown of the century, which seemed to last for an hour. Finally we got her calmed down and we headed out. It turned out to be an excellent evening in almost every way. I sat there on the blanket surrounded by the people I love most in this world and I felt so happy and tranquil. Later on the kids found a family with a small black puppy and they were in seventh heaven. When it was time to go, no one was interested in heading home because it was such a beautiful night and being right at the summer solstice, it would stay late well past 9:00. So we headed up to the local temple thinking we could take a walk around the grounds. But, we forgot that the temple grounds are closed on Sundays and the gates were locked. Bummer! Even still, it was a fantastic night.

Family Pictures

2011-07-11T23:04:00.001-07:00

Boy do I have some catching up to do! Don't worry, more posts are coming. But in the meantime, here are some pictures I picked up today from the studio. Please forgive the horrible scanning job. I love the second group one because of how real and candid it is. Everyone is in their natural element. The bottom ones are of Garrett in his blessing tuxedo, taken at 2 1/2 months.

Zoo Trip

2011-07-09T21:55:00.000-07:00

Even though most of June was chilly, we decided to get one last use out of our zoo pass before it expired. It rained on us on the way to the zoo, but we braved it anyway. Too bad we all forgot our jackets! We enjoyed a picnic lunch and had a lot of fun seeing the animals. They have a lot of "life like" dinosaurs around right now and the kids got a huge kick out of checking out their robotics.

Father's Day

2011-06-29T13:11:00.001-07:00

Father's Day was crazy and busy and full of fun. The day before, the kids and I hit the store and I gave each of them a five dollar spending limit to get Dad a present. This is likely Cody's and my favorite part of our special days. We love seeing what the kids pick out for us, because it is always symbolic of "them". On Sunday Dad wore his special tie that Hailey made him earlier in the year in preschool. I love that he wears these goofy ties with pride each year!

After church they all gathered on the couch to watch a movie together. Daddy duck and his five little ducklings. Doesn't get better than that!

Ethan was sooooooo excited to give him the cheeseballs!

A movie from Hailey Jane.

100 Otter Pops from Lauren...just for Dad!

And chocolate covered almonds from Devin. Yeah, these lasted all of one day!

Of course Aunt Leighann came over for dinner. Steak, asparagus, salad, rolls...all the fixins.

Just Cuz

2011-06-29T13:04:00.000-07:00

The boys.
Garrett Allan 2 1/2 months
Devin Joseph 20 months
Mornings are fun hangin' out in our jammies.

Summah Time!

2011-06-29T12:51:00.000-07:00

Summer is my absolute favorite season. And I'm not just saying that because it has been a very long winter. I'm saying that because I am from Houston and I am very accustomed to the heat and in all honesty, I love it. A lot of northerners who visit the Lone Star State in summer run away screaming because of the heat and humidity. But it's what I know and love. School ended here on June 3rd and we were all counting down the days. But sadly, the weather didn't start to warm up enough to swim outside until last week. Anythkng below 80 is way too cold to swim in, especially here in the desert when the water loses a ton of heat at night. Anywho, summer is now here and I'm happy. When Ethan came home on his last day I had this sign on the door.

That afternoon the kids and I brainstormed a list of activities we wanted to do before school started again. Ugh, the thought of fall and cool temps and white skin makes me want to cry. In fact, any talk of school or Halloween or Thanksgiving or ESPECIALLY Christmas and snow is 100% banned in our house. Only talk of summer fun is allowed. We put it all on a poster and hung it on the pantry door. Some of the things on our list are one time things...but a lot of them are activities we will do several times during these warm couple of months. Blah- summer here is so short, so I feel we have to take advantage of every single hot day! Welcome to sum sum summah time!!

Garrett- 2 Months Old

2011-06-24T22:23:00.000-07:00

Dear Garrett,

I can't believe you are already into your third month of life! The last several weeks have flown by, but at the same time they have dragged horribly. I won't lie. You have not been th easiest baby to take care of. You came into this world with issues and you have had a hard time adjusting to this cold and cruel world. But the older you get, the easier time you are having; the easier time we are ALL having. For the first few weeks you were waking every hour and a half to two hours at night to eat. Without fail, you wanted to eat all the time. But lately you have been going in much longer spurts so I am a much happier mommy. Believe it or not, mommies have to sleep too and they are very grouchy when they can't! So thank you for taking mercy on me.

You are growing so quickly and at times I wish you would slow down a bit. You are my last baby and I am trying to savor it. But since you are the youngest of five, life is very busy and sometimes I have a hard time sitting and enjoying your babyness. I am constantly so rushed and I wish I had more time to snuggle with you...just for fun rather than because you are fussy or needing to eat.

I love you like crazy. You are smiling all the time now and you are becoming a true delight! I have heard you try to laugh a couple of times, both times being at something Devin has done. Boy, does he scare you. Devin is so little still and doesn't quite understand being gentle. He loves to come over and try to get you out of your swing, or lay right on top of you when you are on the floor. You tolerate him a lot, but I think your patience is wearing thin. But keep in mind that Devin is your furture best friend. I love that you boys are so close in age because hopefully you can always be good friends. I have a feeling you will be.

Lauren is another one ho loves you a little too much at times. I think she wants to be your mommy. She is the first time greet you in the morning, other than me of course. You are always laying in my bed when we wake up and Lauren comes running in to keep you company while I go to the bathroom and brush my teeth. That girl loves you to pieces! As you get older and fight with her, I want you to know how much she loved you when you were tiny. Even though she is only three years old, I think she would lay down her life for you.

You had your first immunizations on June 6th, and like all babies, you did not like it one bit. I hate seeing my babies cry and suffer afterward, but I think I'm doing the right thing by having you protected against yucky illnesses. We came home that afternoon and you slept for most of the day. You are a growing boy and you weighed 12.13 pounds (58%) and you were 23.25 inches long (59%). Sounds perfect to me!

I think you resemble Lauren the most as a baby. The other day I was looking at her pictures from when she was your age and you two look alike. Your eyes are a little different...more like Devin's but you share other features. It will be interesting to see how you grow and change as you get even older!

Garrett, you may be my fifth baby but I love you as much as I love your brothers and sisters. You are a truly unique and special little guy and I am so thankful I get to be your mommy. Heavenly Father blessed me so much when he sent you to me. I hope you always know how much I love you!!!

1st Grade Program

2011-06-22T22:33:00.000-07:00

School is over and we now have an {almost} second grader on our hands! Ethan's end of year program was on June 2nd and they did a terrific job. I really love their elementary school, especially the principal. He seems to genuinely care about the kids and their families. Mrs. Smith was an excellent teacher, although we had some issues with her in the beginning. But she turned out to be wonderful once we got a few things worked out. We will miss her next year!

Memorial Day Bowling

2011-06-21T23:16:00.001-07:00

On Memorial Day it was cold, as always. Kick off to summer my eye. It is never ever warm that weekend. We tried to think of something fun to do that day and bowling sounded like a safe bet. We had a blast and Devin got to bowl a little and it was hilarious watching him get so excited about it!

Buds

2011-06-21T23:07:00.001-07:00

This is what I see most mornings. After everyone has had breakfast they congregate in the living room to watch PBS Kids on TV. The baby is usually lying on a blanket, happily looking around. His not-so-older brother can always be found close by. I wonder what is being conversed between these two. I can't wait to see their relationship grown and develop over the years. I have a feeling they will be great buds.

Devin Starts Nursery!

2011-06-21T22:19:00.000-07:00

Devin turned eighteen months in April. That is a terrific milestone, because up until then church gets more and more difficult. I've always said there should be a special class just for kids ages twelve to seventeen months, but alas, there isn't. Devin has been especially hard for several months now because he doesn't have an off button and is constantly on the go! Since the baby was born at the beginning of April and we didn't go to church for a few weeks, Devin didn't have his first day in nursery until the end of May. We weren't surprised at all that he took to it right away. He loved everything about it, except for the other screaming kids. But he loved going in and sitting down to a table full of fun puzzles! Every time we have peeked in on him since then he is having a great time. In fact, last Sunday he carried around a baby doll in a green jumper the whole time. He always had it in his hands when I looked in on him. It's been great sitting during Gospel Doctrine in peace and quiet, not chasing a toddler around!

Leighann's Birthday

2011-06-17T17:34:00.000-07:00

May 28th was Leighann's birthday. She has been quite the pathetic loser lately, with her husband living in Kansas this summer for his job. She came over that afternoon for her birthday and we partied hard. Well, as hard as a couple with five little kids can party. That morning Cody took the three oldest kids to the store and let them have free reign over the place, each picking out their own present for Auntie Ums. The girls found a purple cowboy hat and huge pink glasses and said they wanted to give them to her. Cody got the idea that she should have to wear them while opening presents. She was a good sport about it.
Lauren picked out a baby bear snow globe. Leighann was blown away at her generosity.

Hailey found a strange little cheetah or leopard or prehistoric cat of sorts. See how much Ums loves it?

She also LOVED the sling hot from Ethan.

And Devin doesn't know it, but he picked out a Toy Story art set. Leighann was nice enough to let the kids play with it the next day.

And then Cody went a little cray putting together a care package for the birthday girl. Yes, those are male enhancement pills. Total inside joke. And she also got a pregnancy test. Newlyweds never can have too many of those on hand!

Tuna, mac'n cheese, Chef Boyardee, chips, cereal...Cody is so generous.

Her real gift from us was four new pillows for their bed. She was venting to me how all she wanted was to get some new pillows, but instead every last nickle was going to rent and other bills this month. I remember the days when things such as pillows seemed like a luxury. Heck, we still have months like that from time to time. I had no idea the emotional plug I would pull by buying her pillows. She actually teared up...something I rarely see her do.

The we had strawberry pie and homemade icecream for dessert. Happy birthday, Leg Ham! Hope we made it a little special for you.

Hailey's Graduation

2011-06-17T17:04:00.000-07:00

Hailey is a real preschool graduate! Her graduation was on May 26th and luckily, the weather was perfect. It had rained all week but we were very grateful for the blue skies that day! This child was made for school. I hope her enthusiasm for learning continues all through her school years. We have been very blessed to have a wonderful preschool teacher now for a fourth year in a row. Kari has been with us for long and it feels like she is part of our family now. She does an incredible job teaching during the year, but the graduation program is always a grand finale. She is so creative and each year writes a parody on a hip hop song of sorts, changing the words to go along with a school theme. Last year she did The Black Eyed Peas "Tonight's Gonna Be a Good Night" and this year she did a Justin Beiber song. Hailey is still singing it. They also sang a song that I sang when I was in kindergarten, all about the fifty united states. I was able to sing right along, amazed that I still remembered it. We are very proud of our Hailey Bailey and we're all excited about her starting kindergarten in August!

Baby Talk

2011-05-29T17:09:00.000-07:00

A Visit From Matt & Kam

2011-05-29T16:13:00.000-07:00

Matthew and Kamishia had a baby boy last September. To say I've been anxious to meet little Orion is quite the understatement. Chomping at the bit is more like it. I see pictures and videos of the kid all over Facebook and I could not wait to finally get to squeeze and love on him. The three of them graced us with their presence last week while they were roadtripping, but two days just wasn't long enough for me to get my fill of them. I just love that little family! The kids were very excited to meet their one and only boy cousin on the McCorkle side.
Of course Mya came along and the kids were in Heaven with a dog to play with. Mya is quite the dog. Actually, I swear she is more human than dog. If I could hand pick a dog that was 100% like Mya in temperment, I would love to have a dog. But unfortunately it doesn't work like that. So in the meantime, the kids loved having Mya around. Devin kept going over to her to give her "loves". That is, he would stick out his tongue and let her lick it and then giggle with delight. Kind of gross, but pretty cute.

On Tuesday evening we went out to Muller Park for a picnic dinner. Normally on good days that place is so busy you can't find a daycamp site that isn't being used. But that night we had the entire place to ourselves! It was a perfect evening. We loved hiking around the place and taking lots of pictures.

On Tuesday afternoon they headed back out on the road to go spend some time in Moab. I hated to see them go, but I really look forward to seeing them again. We had such a fun time with them and they are wlecome at our house any old time they please!

First Smiles

2011-05-17T13:09:00.001-07:00

This morning I had just finished nursing and burping Garrett and I laid him on my lap. I was talking sweetly to him, and he gave me his first, voluntary, undeniable smile. That first smile always thrills me to death. It's like their way of saying "Mom, I do love you even though I lay here and do nothing. I do appreciate all you have done for me. Here's a little something to show you how much I love you." Luckily I had my camera phone in hand and was able to catch the last half of his smile. He gave me a few more right after, but I couldn't capture any on camera. Words can no describe how much I love this little guy!

Mini V

2011-05-17T12:52:00.000-07:00

Yesterday right after breakfast, Hailey grabbed a pen and paper and sat down to draw. After a few minutes I asked what she was drawing and she said "I am planning out our next trip to the zoo." She then explained to me how she had mapped out exactly who would be going, how we would get there, what we would see first, when we would eat lunch, when we would ride the little train, etc. And sure enough, she had in fact drawn it all.

Hailey can often times be found doing this sort of thing. She is the ultimate planner, and I swear it must be genetic. Cody has teased me since she was little and began showing this same characteristic that she was a "Mini V". When I was a kid I had a clipboard and I carried it with me a lot of the time. I could always be found planning something of sorts. Family Home Evening, family outings, playdates with friends, I would also plan out what I wanted in my lunch for the rest of the month or so. I loved planning, and I still do. One of my favorite things as an adult is to write in my planner. I love making to-do lists and I LOVE scratching completed things off my list. I love printing off our family calendar each month and filling in upcoming events.

And this little girl is just like me in that regard, right down to her annoyance when things don't go according to her plans. Right now she is in the process of planning her sixth birthday party. Even though it is not until January, she is busy making plans. The details change every now and then, but the overall plan stays the same. When I journal about it next year, keep in mind that it will likely be 90% out of the mind of Hailey. I hope that she can harness her ability to plan and organize and put it to her advantage as she gets older. It will come in handy a lot in school and the workplace, that's for sure. And then when she has a household to run, I think she will be in Heaven because it takes a LOT of planning and organizing!

Daddy's Boy

2011-05-17T12:39:00.000-07:00

A couple of months before the baby was born, Devin started becoming more clingy toward Cody. Then after I went into the hospital, Devin pacified himself with Cody. Well, ever since then he has wanted nothing to do with me when Dad is around. Cody puts him in his crib at night and Devin has a fit, but he eventually gives in and gets quiet. But like clockwork, a few minutes later hellacious screams can be heard from his room. Cody rushes in there to see what's wrong and finds Devin's feet caught between the spindles of his crib. The thing is, this never ever used to happen. We are convinced that now Devin does it on purpose because he knows Cody will come back in to get him and calm him down. I'm sure if you listen closely, you can hear Devin laugh a Devilish laugh. Ha ha ha ha ha...I won again.

Each evening when Cody comes home, all Devin has to do is hear the doorknob jiggle and he drops whatever he is doing and says "Daddy!" and races for the front door. He is the first to greet him and from there on out I am chopped liver. The kid really wants nothing to do with me when Cody is around. He is our first kid to have such an attachment to Cody, and in a way, I like it. I know Devin still loves and needs me, but it's nice for Cody to have such a big fan!

Camping Out

2011-05-17T11:44:00.000-07:00

Saturday was cold and windy and the kids didn't get to play outside too much. That afternoon I set up our small two man tent in the front living room and they thought it was the coolest thing ever. They slept in it for the next two nights, but I needed to get it put up yesterday to keep it from getting beat up anymore. When Ethan came home from school he was really diappointed that the tent was gone. Sorry kiddo. But maybe one of these days the weather will decide to stay warm and we can have a camp out in the backyard!

Sugar House Park

2011-05-15T21:50:00.000-07:00

On Friday we could not have had a more beautiful day. It has been such a long and wet winter (here where we live we are just barely getting into spring) so we were aching for a good day to get outside and play. I kidnapped Ethan a little early from school and we headed to Salt Lake to a fantastic park for a picnic. Cody lived near the Sugar House area when we first started dating and that park holds a lot of sentimental value for us. I hadn't been back there since Ethan was a tiny baby, so I figured it was time that I introduced the kids to another part of our old stomping ground. When we pulled in, the kids were overcome with how "cool" the place was. A huge duck pond, a river, some incredible play areas, and huge hills to roll down. It didn't get better than that! Garrett was a trooper and slept most of the time, only waking once to eat. I am very proud of myself for accomplishing that outing with five kids and only me to keep everything under control. It was a great day and we can't wait to go back with Dad!

6 Weeks...and 31 Years Young

2011-05-15T13:59:00.000-07:00

Garrett is six weeks old today. I can't believe we survived the first six weeks because it has been such a trying time. Today is also my thirty-first birthday and it's fitting that the two milestones are connected. When I turned thirty last year I didn't feel a lot different than when I was twenty-nine. But now that I am officially "into" my thirties, I feel more mature. It probably sounds silly and doesn't make sense. And now Garrett is six weeks old and I am getting further and further away from my child bearing years. Before long, it will all be a distant memory. I have struggled with my emotions about being done with this phase of life, and I've journaled enough about it in the last months so no need to rehash old feelings.

People told me I would be sad when Cody had his vasectomy. But I wasn't.

People told me I would be sad when Garrett was born. But I wasn't.

People told me I would be sad when we left the hospital with our last baby. But I wasn't.

People told me I would be sad when Garrett outgrew his newborn diapers. But I wasn't.

And all this probably makes me sound cold and heartless and honestly, I think it does too. I had braced myself all along for how sad I would be as we crossed each milestone, and as they came and went and I was left feeling nostalgic but in no way sad, I was surprised. And all I can think of to explain my feelings is that I know we are done having kids. All of the spirits that were intended for our family are here and accounted for. There are no more players sitting on our bench, waiting patiently for their turn to be born. All seven of us are here together on earth and it is a very joyous feeling. So the fact that we are not having anymore babies is actually a happy thing because it means we are complete. And completeness is a great thing.

Garrett is lying next to me, contently sucking on a binky and looking around. His tummy is empty and he's about to realize it so he'll start fussing soon. I love this guy. I love him so much. And I do appreciate his babyness and I am trying to soak it all in because I know we will never be in this place again. But at the same time, I really look forward to him getting older and sleeping better and being able to interact with me more. I look forward to seeing his personality emerge more and more. Will he be a clown like Devin, always wanting to entertain and charm? Or will he be more serious, thoughtful, and analytical like Ethan? Or maybe he'll just be his own person and that will be fine too.

So today I am thirty-one years old. And Garrett has officially left the newborn stage and crossed into the young infant stage. I can start exercising again, which is great because I have these fifty pounds that are hanging around and I am excited to shed them. And the good thing about never having a baby again is that I will never gain the pregnancy pounds again. I will shed it and never see it again...ever. That truly brings tears to my eyes!

Just for fun and for posterity, so they can see what I was like when I was this old, here are thirty-one things that I love.

1. The smell right after it rains.

2. Warm pavement beneath my feet.

3. The sound my kids make as they congregate together planning a surprise for me.

4. The feel of my baby's skin against my own.

5. The way my husband's top lip protrudes out just a tiny bit above his bottom lip.

6. Painting a room...and then admiring the freshly painted walls.

7. Using my hands and feeling useful.

8. A brand new pair of socks, fresh out of the package.

9. A beautiful table setting, complete with place cards.

10. White Christmas lights on a real Christmas tree.

11. Family vacations with my husband and kids.

12. Sunflowers.

13. My husband's morning voice.

14. Meeting my new baby for the first time.

15. Playing the piano.

16. Home grilled hamburgers.

17. Citronella.

18. New fallen snow.

19. Chronicling, journaling, documenting, and photographing.

20. Standing in the greeting card aisle, agonizing over the perfect card for someone, often times getting teary eyed as I do so.

21. My green eyes and freckles.

22. Painting my toenails.

23. When my children tell me something and I know that what I've taught them is being absorbed.

24. Mowing the lawn.

25. Texas wildflowers in the spring.

26. When the weather starts to turn chilly in the fall.

28. Apple pie and vanilla ice cream.

29. Knowing that no matter what happens, I am tied to my family forever.

30. My Savior, Jesus Christ.

31. My life.

Desperation

2011-05-13T21:50:00.000-07:00

71 degress outside.
Popsicles.
Swimsuits, although not exactly swimsuit weather.
Is anyone else feeling desperate for summer?

Mother's Day 2011

2011-05-13T21:28:00.000-07:00

If someone had told me long ago that in 2011 I'd be spending Mother's Day surrounded by my five children, I would have said they were crazy. All this has happened in the last seven years and it seems as though I blinked.

On Sunday morning I got breakfast in bed for the first time. I knew they had been planning it, but I had to act surprised. I loved lying in bed with the baby, listening to Cody and the kids out in the kitchen shushing each other because "Shhhh!! It's a surprise!" and there were a lot of "This is awesome and Mom's gonna love it!" And in they came, one by one to give me hugs and wish me a happy Mother's Day. I absolutely loved eating breakfast surrounded by five of the people I love most in this world.

I spent the day doing a lot of reflecting on motherhood. To be honest, it is nothing like I had imagined it years ago. In most ways, it's a million times better than I could have imagined it. It is by far the hardest job in the world and often times the most thankless. But at the end of the day (and at the end of the worst days at that) I walk in see them sleeping and I wonder how I got to be so lucky. I have these five precious people in my life and I don't think I deserve them. In fact, I know I don't. I make a lot of mistakes as a mom, but it seems that these people are always so eager to forgive and climb up in my lap and give me a sticky kiss. I don't think I could ever tell them how much I love them because there simply are no words.

When I stop and look around at the chaos and the messes and the gooey fingerprints on the windows and the doors and the [what I hope is] chocolate pudding smeared all over the hallway wall, I have to remind myself that this is a beautiful life Cody and I have created.

Garrett- 1 Month

2011-05-13T19:24:00.000-07:00

Baby G turned one month on May 3rd. That first month flew by, but it seemed to draaaaaaaag at the same time. It's been a rough go with him but we are slowly getting him figured out. Even though we have done this five times, we feel like this is our first rodeo. He has a lot of the same tummy issues that Devin did, and I have to keep reminding myself that he grew out of it...and I pray Garrett does as well! The doctor put him on a couple of medications to help with reflux because he is a projectile vomitter. It doesn't seem to be working too well though,because just last night I got completely drenched with puke from that sweet boy. And I mean all-over-my-body.

He is sleeping in bigger chunks for sure, consiering when we brought him home he was eating every 1 1/2 hours during the night. I am finally feeling human again and that ever present fuzzy feeling is diappearing. The guy still insists on sleeping right up against me, and I'm sure that will continue for several months just like Lauren and Devin did. But you know what? I am not fighting it too much because it just ain't worth the fight, trying to get him to sleep unaccomanied. The only downside is that Cody can't sleep too well in our bed when the baby is there so he's been on the couch. I sure miss my hubby.

When I took him in for his reflux appointment at 4 1/2 weeks, he weighed 10 1/2 pounds. Not too shabby! The guy loves his food for sure. The only thing is he has a hard time nursing when I'm very full of milk because he seems to drown, and as he's gasping for air (quite literally) he takes in too much air and then has to be burped right away. So I often times have to stop and burp him every minute and that makes for a very long nursing session.

The poor kid has had a constant cold of one degree or another since he was two weeks old. I guess that's what happens when there are four petri dishes walking around, spreading germ after germ. Hopefully it means that he will have one killer immune system within a couple of years!

He really loves the binky, which is great because my last two babies were not fans and it meant they wanted to nurse round the clock for pacification. With Garrett, I can hold him off from eating for a little while if I am too busy to feed him right then, because I can stick a binky in his mouth and he's happy...for a short time anyway. It usually gives me a few extra minutes!

The kids absolutely adore him. I think Lauren is his biggst fan and she is constantly trying to "help". She has even started mimicking things I say to him. One of the funniest things she says when he is crying (and she says it in the sweetest mommy voice) "Don't worry Sweetie, you're not gonna die."

It will be fun to see what the next month holds in store for this guy. We love him to pieces and are so happy he's in our family!!!

Garrett's Blessing Day

2011-05-13T19:03:00.000-07:00

Garrett was given a name and a blessing on May 1st, when he was exactly four weeks old. It was a very emotional day for me, considering it was the last time we'd ever bless a baby like that. Garrett's life has been full of many bittersweet "lasts" for us. But with each "last" it opens up new windows for new experiences as we embark upon this new phase of life.

I was emotional as I walked into church with all five of my children in tow. I was emotional as I looked around the chapel to see everyone who had come out to honor Garrett and to stand in the blessing circle. I was emotional as the Bishop stood from the pulpit and said his full name, announcing that he would be blessed that day. I was emotional as Cody tok him from my arms and walked with him up to the front of the chapel. I was emotional as I listened to the sweet words he spoke, blessing him with beautiful things in life. I was emotional as he talked about Garrett's free agency and how he blessed him to be strong and to know right from wrong and to be a good example to everyone he comes in contact with in life. I was emotional as Cody talked about his four siblings and his two parents who love him and how we would always cheer him on in life. I was emotional as he talked about his siblings being his best friends. Yes, it was an emotional day for me.

After chuch we all congregated back at our house for a luncheon. It was great to visit with friends and family that we don't get to see that often. The day could not have been more perfect and I am so thankful for this new person in my life. I am so thankful to be his mama.

Granana and Gov's Help

2011-05-13T18:37:00.000-07:00

Granana and Gov came into town on April 27th, the same day Cody's dad left. Their timing was great because by the time they came, I was feeling human again and I was able to get out and do things! I was enjoying the company more too and didn't have to be "waited" on as much (something I completely hate). They tagged along to soccer and baseball games, helped get the house ready for Garrett's blessing, made a trek to IKEA with me (it was their first time there and they agreed it is quite the experience). We also met Leighan for lunch and then toured her new apartment, watched good movies, and visited a lot.

Mom had to be back to work so she left town on May 3rd. The good thing is that Dad was able to stay another week and we got a heck of a lot done around the house. We cleaned out the garage, prepped all the flowerbeds in the front yard, made a trip to the nursery to buy new plants, fixed the screen on the sliding door, drank a lot of Hank's Rootbeer, made many trips to Home Depot, built shelves in Ethan's new closet downstairs, ate pizza, and talked until we didn't have anything else to talk about (yeah right...like we ever run out of stuff to talk about). As always I was very sad to see them go, but I look forward to their next visit!

Grandma and Grandpa's Help

2011-05-13T18:22:00.000-07:00

Garrett makes grandbaby #9 for Cody's mom and dad and they were pretty anxious to meet him. Grandma came into town the day Garrett was born and she was a huge help to us. She was pretty tired by the end of her stay though, because she kept saying "There's a reason why you have your kids in your younger years. A 65 year old grandma isn't cut out for it!" She headed back to Idaho on April 18th, and Grandpa came back into town two days later to continue with the help. He stayed for another week. They helped get kids ready and to and from school, helped shuttle to soccer and baseball, made dinner, did laundry, and kept Mom and Dad sane. We are so appreciative to both of them and we don't know what we would have done without their help!!

T-Rex and Tornado

2011-05-10T22:28:00.000-07:00

Easter

2011-05-10T16:36:00.001-07:00

Easter this year was kind of a blur. I had ridiculous expectations and assumed we'd all be fine to go to church on Sunday. But of course things were crazy and I was anything but human and incredibly sleep deprived and didn't know what was up and what was down...so we laid low all weekend. The kids dyed eggs on Saturday and had fun. I tried to time it so Devin would be napping during the dying if eggs because he is such a handful. But of course that didn't work out and he made his way to the kitchen table many times to see what was going on and to "help". Oh Baby Badness, you are so cute and so naughty!

Both Cody and I had a horrible night of sleep on Saturday. I was up all night with Garrett and Cody was up a lot with Devin. Man-on-man is great for nights like that. When the kids woke up they found that the Easter Bunny had come and they were overly excited to get out and hunt eggs. This was the first Easter in years when the weather had been decent for an egg hunt. The year before the kids had to wear their snow boots while hunting outside. This was Devin's first year to participate and he wasn't sure what to think of it at first, but then he really got into it.

Garrett spent the morning sleeping and eating and he missed out on a lot of the festivities. And to be honest, I don't think he cared too much! He'll have fun next year though. That afternoon Leighann and Skylar came up to hang out and eat dinner. I made my traditional Easter dinner (half awake, mind you) of ham, funeral potatoes, asparagus, strawberry Jello salad, rolls, green salad, and Chocolate satin pie for dessert. It was a fun day, but both Cody and I were overly exhausted by the end of it all. And thank you, Leighann, for doing all the dishes!!

Real Bath

2011-05-10T16:17:00.000-07:00

Garrett's cord fell off at exactly sixteen days old, which is officially the longest that any of our babies' cords have stayed on. He sure didn't want to part with it! And with the loss of his cord he got to take his first sink bath. Unlike the sponge baths, he really liked this one and has loved them ever since. As long as he can stay submerged in water he's fine. It's the transport between the sink and the warm towel that has him screaming in hysterics! Lauren got to be my special helper and she loved being right there in the action. She got to lotion him up and now she wants to lotion him every time. Thanks for your help, Lauren girl!

2011 Little League

2011-05-10T15:57:00.000-07:00

Little League season is in full "swing". With two kids playing and each having two games a week plus one practice most weeks (and did I mention two kids in soccer at the same time??) our calendar is full and crazy. This is Hailey's first year of tee-ball and her team is the Red Wings. She is the only girl on her team which concerned me at first. I thought it would be a repeat of her first year on soccer when she was the only girl and HATED it. But she seems to be enjoying it a lot! The pink helmet, pink bat, pink glove, and pink bat seem to have helped in making her like it.

Ethan is in his third year of playing ball and he's playing for the Knights. This year they are doing machine pitch and he has had a few hits and made a few runs for his team! He likes baseball a lot and the transformation between his first season and this season is unreal. He isn't the same kid as he was back then. I love watching him out there truly enjoying himself and cutting up with the other kids on his team. He has some out of his shell so much in the last two years!

Sponge Bath

2011-05-10T14:12:00.001-07:00

Garrett had his first sponge bath when he was exacty one week old. Normally I can't wait to get my babies home to wash them off and I've always done it as soon as we are home from the hospital. But because I was feeling exceptionally sore this time, I waited a couple more days. As all our babies have done, Garrett protested. Oh sure, the first part was nice when he was fully dressed and had his hair washed. But as soon as his clothes were off and he got patted down with a washcloth, watch out!! Hailey and Lauren were great helpers. Since they are a little older now, they have been involved with a lot of the baby chores. They will both make excellent mommies one day!

Taking a Minute

2011-05-10T12:51:00.000-07:00

I have spent the morning doing many things, one of which has been catching up on my journal. I am desperate to get caught up on the last couple of months before I start to forget details. I am one to want to do things in chronilogical order and as much as I hate to cause a break in my train of thought, I feel the need to write about what is going on in our house at this very moment. And in our livs at this very moment.

We are all sick. Well, most of us any way. I have what feels like the flu. Fever, chills, achy body. Lauren has it too. She is snoring soundly on the couch right next to me. Hailey has a double ear infection and stayed home from school today. She is in our bedroom playing PBS Kids online. Devin has a terrible cold and has been running fever off and on for days now and he is sleeping in his crib. Garrett for the moment, is sleeping in the swing. That boy has given us a run for our money since the day he was born. The poor guy was up a lot during the night unable to breathe because of congestion. He threw up twice all over himself during the night because while trying to clear his throat, chest, and sinuses, everything in his freshly filled stomach would come up as he gagged. And then he'd start all over again by re-filling his stomach. Oh, such a long night.

Poor Cody has been sleeping on the couch for five straight weeks. Garrett is such a handfull during the night and since I need him in our bedroom, there's no way Cody would get any sleep if he was in there with us. Maybe one day we will be normal again and be able to sleep in the same room again. Is there such a thing as "normal" when you have as many kids as we do in as many years as we do? Five kids in barely seven years. Just saying it outloud makes me tired.

I have seven baskets of laundry that need to be folded. I need to take apart the little boy's room to prep it for new paint on the walls. I need to clean out the pantry and frdge.

The last of the help left this morning. My dad has been here for two weeks and I was so sad to see him go this morning. He is the last of the grandparents to be here and it hurt when he left. He was a huge help to me and I will greatly miss that, but moreso I will miss his company. I love my dad and have a super relationship with him. He has a way of making any one of his kids feel like his "favorite". Whenever I am with him one-on-one, I am his favorite.

I should be unloading the dishwasher, or ironing Hailey's baseball uniform because we have to leave here to go have her team pictures done in one hour. And I haven't the faintest idea what we will have for dinner tonight.

Devin- 18 Months

2011-05-10T12:00:00.000-07:00

Devin Joseph had his 18 month check up on April 11th (which happened to be at the same time that Garrett had his eight day check up. That was an experience!) Since my brain is so fuzzy, I can't recall exactly what he measured and weighed, and I am far too tired and lazy to go dig out his stat sheet. But I do remember that he was right on track on growth and came in at about the 50th percentile for both weight and height. Everything else checked out just fine and he is a thriving, happy, and healthy little guy! Having these babies less than eighteen months apart has left me feeling like a chicken with no head, and although I'd like to be able to record a complete play-by-play about his development at this stage, these are the things about Devin that I can think of right now.

-He has a fantstc mop of curly blonde hair, and we are terrified to cut it. Ethan also had beautiful blonde curls and after his first real haircut, it started growing in straight! So we are a little scissor shy right now.

-His vocabulary consists of Mom, Dad, uh-oh, hello, mmm mmm mmm (as if "no no no" which Mom says all the time) and this funky little car noise of sorts. He knows that all of these "words" make us laugh, and when he is in trouble, he starts going down the list of his cutisms and knows he will get out of trouble imediately. And it always works!

-He wears a size four day diaper and a size five night diaper.

-He wears eighteen month pants and 2T shirts.

-He wears a size six shoe.

-He rarely cries, and when he does, we know something is realy wrong. He is the sweetest natured kid around!

-He climbs on ev-ry-thing. If he can get his feet on it, he will climb it! And he usually falls, but he has determination and tries again and again. The poor kid is always covered in bruises and goose eggs because of how much he falls. But does it stop him? No way.

-He wants so badly to be one of the big kids. Now that Garrett is here, he wants to be included in the big kid stuff even more.

-He unknowingly knows all the vowels. He walks around saying "A E I O U" all the time. He probably picked it up from a kids' show. He can also recognize letters as being letters. Whenever he sees a letter, he shouts "A" no matter what letter it actually is.

-He has not had any real jealousy issues with Garrett. Maybe it's becaus he's too young to know what's going on! He loves to get the binky and tries to put it in Garrett's mouth. Devin never took a binky so he thinks they are a novelty. He also loves to stroke his head and give him loves (kisses on the top of th head). I think these guys will be great friends!

-If he can ever get over this cold he's been carrying for weeks, he gets to start nursery at any time.

-He is the ultimate Daddy's boy. Mom is usually chopped liver the second Dad comes in the door. He seems to have a sixth sense in the evening and knows when Dad is coming home. He starts watching the front door and sometimes takes his toys down by the door to wait for him. As soon as he hears the keys jiggling in the door, he jumps up and starts saying "Dad! Dad!" He only wants Dad when he is sick or when he wakes up during the night. This has worked out well since Garrett was born, because Mom and Dad can play man-on-man at night. Mom takes care of Garrett, Dad takes care of Devin.

-We still call him Moo, Mr. Moo, Baby Cow, Fatso Face, and Dev Dev.

-When he gets scolded, he has mastered the sad glare to shoot at us. It never gets him out of trouble, but it sure is cute!

-He is a great eater and will eat almost anything I put on his highchair tray. Oh, if ony this phase would last all through childhood!

-He still takes a bottle of milk at naptime and bedtime. We will eventually break him of this, but lately we have all been in survival mode around here so now is not the time.

-He is such a happy boy and he fill our lives with joy everyday! We sure love our Moo!!!